The present invention pertains to a seat back recliner and in the preferred embodiment disclosed herein relates to an infinitely variable seat back recliner mechanism particularly well suited for use in automobile vehicle seats.
Seat back recliner mechanisms are frequently used in automobile seats. Such mechanisms allow the seat back to be reclined in relation to the seat cushion so as to provide a range of reclined seating positions for the occupant. Various types of seat back recliner mechanisms are known. Many of these mechanisms utilize toothed gears which are rotatable by means of an operating lever to establish the angular position of the seat back in relation to the seat cushion. Because it is typically necessary to lock the recliner mechanisms in place when a desired adjusted position has been obtained, these mechanisms further may employ locking devices, such as pawls, which engage the toothed gears of the reclining mechanism. Such a reclining mechanism establishes a number of discrete angular positions at which the seat back may be locked. Hence, it cannot provide a continuous range of adjustment positions. A typical mode of operation for prior devices of this type involves the occupant having to release the pawl which locks the adjustment mechanism and then having to position the seat back either manually or by leaning back on it and then finally allowing the pawl to re-engage the reclining mechanism for locking it in place. Accordingly, in addition to the lack of a continuous range of adjustment positions, this prior type of mechanism may involve a certain inconvenience to the occupant.
The present invention is directed to a new and improved seat back recliner mechanism which provides an infinitely variable adjustment within an adjustment range, rather than a limited number of discrete adjustment positions. Moreover, the adjustment is accomplished by means of an operating lever which is effective to angularly position the seat back in one-to-one correspondence with operation of the lever. Operation of the lever alone is effective to position the seat back, and it therefore becomes unnecessary for the occupant to exert a direct force on the seat back to move it to the desired position. Once the desired position has been obtained through use of the operating lever, there is no further need for the occupant to perform any additional function in order to maintain the seat back in the selected position.
The reclining mechanism includes a wedging means which is effective to prevent the seat back from being angularly displaced from its set position when subjected to an external torque tending to rotate the seat back about the hinge axis. Yet, when the seat back is to be repositioned, all that is necessary is to operate the lever to bring the seat back to the new position. Thus, one attribute to the invention is that user convenience is promoted because all that is necessary to accomplish positioning of the seat back is for the user to move the operating lever to a new position. There are no separate latching or unlatching functions which are required. Furthermore, it is unnecessary for the occupant to bodily move the seat back either by leaning against it or manually, and indeed such attempts, if made, would not be successful in adjusting the seat back because the only way for the seat back to be moved is via the operating lever.
A further feature of the invention is that the mechanism is substantially compact which is an important consideration in an automotive vehicle seat. Many components of the mechanism can be fabricated from formed metal parts, and this is advantageous from the standpoint of mass production which would be associated with automotive usage. While an exemplary embodiment of the invention is disclosed herein, principles of the invention can be applied to other specific embodiments.
The foregoing features, advantages, and benefits of the invention, along with additional ones, will be seen in the ensuing description and claims which should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention according to the best mode contemplated at the present time for carrying out the invention.